This week we played a team that routinely is one of the best teams in town year in, year out. We played them on Wednesday and Friday, Friday being a doubleheader due to an earlier rain out.
On Wednesday we started out down 5 to 0, without giving up a hit. At the end of the 2nd we were down 14 to 3. They had 14 runs on TWO hits. Errors and walks KILL YOU!!! After the 2nd inning, the umpire came over and asked when we wanted to call the game. (I'm sure he was thinking, "These guys stink.")
Wow...well we tried to manage a few more innings and got guys some playing time that haven't played much this year.
I lost track at 25 to 3.
Needless to say it was a disaster. After the game my "pep talk" was quite short. "Let's get our stuff out of the dugout as fast as we can. Then let's get to the bus as fast as we can so we can get out of here and pretend this didn't happen."
Sure we stunk it up, but most of it was self inflicted. I built on the positives (yes, I was able to find some), and let them know we did a great job setting the other team up for Friday.
I told my team, "They think we are a piece of crap team. And we were yesterday, but we won't be tomorrow [Friday]. They will come in thinking they can just show up and they will trounce us again. But our pitchers are going to throw strikes, our guys are going to catch the ball and throw the ball better, we're going to hit, and we are going to WIN!!!"
So Friday comes along and all is good. We jump out to a lead and are playing GREAT. Final inning we are up 6 to 1. All is well in the world.
Then the hits started to come. And then a few more hits. Mix in a few errors and we are tied.
At this point I am losing my mind. I'm thinking, "I've seen this movie before. I hope the there is an alternate ending to this one."
2 outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd. Next batter pops it up to 2nd. CATCH!!!!!
I meet with the guys and say, "We are alright. Santa (my 3rd baseman) is going to get on base. We are going to move him over and we are going to WIN!!"
And can you believe it, Santa got a hit and we got the runner over to 3rd with 2 outs. Next batter popped it up to 2nd. DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!
We are pumped. They are stunned.
15 minutes later we started up again. They jumped out to a 3 to 0 lead. We battled back and tied it up, then took the lead heading into the final inning. We continued our great defense and shut the door.
Two wins Friday after getting smashed on Wednesday. Now our league record is 2 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie.
We are a much better team than our league record shows. It was nice to get in the win column, but it was great to comeback from the shellacking on Wednesday.
Four games left. We'll see what team shows up.
